Spring suspension



y 1940- B. H. ANIBAL 2,207,357

SPRING SUSPENSION Filed Jan. 5, 1938 2 Sheets-Sheet 1 Zimaentor (Ittornegs July 9, 1940.

B. H. ANIBAL 07,367

SPRING SUSPENS ION Filed Jan. 5, 1938 2 Sheets-Sheet 2 Y Zinnentor 2352212222212! 911 flzzz'bal Patented July 9, 1940 SPRING SUSPENSION Benianiin H. Anibal, Pontiac, Mich, assignor to General Motors Corporation, Detroit, Mich, a

. corporation of Delaware A-pplication January 5, 1938,

2 Claims.

. This invention relates to a means of suspend- 'ing a vehicle frame on a road wheel axle.

It relates, particularly to a suspension means for a conventional axle carrying road wheels on opposite sides of the vehicle, in which the resilient means is relieved of all functions other than Serial No. 183,440

the springing of the vehicle, and specifically to a coil spring suspension system.

The object of the invention is anaxle of which of the vehicle is controlled by radius arms pivotally connected to the vehicle frame and extending on the opposite side of the axle from their pivot axis to provide seatings for springmeans having the single function of resiliently resisting upward movement of the'axle relatively to the frame.

The above and other objects .of the invention will be apparent as the description proceeds.

. The drawings show the application of the invention to a rear driving axle of a vehicle in which the driving thrust of the road wheels and the driving torque reaction as well as the braking torque reaction is taken through the radius arms.

In the drawings Fig. 1 is a rear view of .a rear axle with suspension means according to the invention.

Fig. 2 is a side view. I Fig. 3 is an enlarged section on line 3-3 of Fig. 2. I f

Fig. 4 is a plan view of the rear end of the motor vehicle chassis to which the invention has been applied.

The vehicle frame has longitudinal side memhers I and 2, a transverse member 3, and X members 4 and 5.

The rear axle housing 6 supports driven rear the movement in a vertical plane longitudinally wheels 1 and a, and its movement longitudinally of the vehicle is controlled by the arms 9 and' III of a V-shaped radius member having a ball II shock absorbers, in order that they may be selfat its apex, which is mounted in a rubber socket 50 U-shaped clips III, II! and 20, 2|.

According to the invention the arms 9 and III are extended rearwardly of the axle to provide seatings 24 and 25 for the lower ends of substantially vertically disposed coil springs 26 and 21 o5v spectively. The upper ends of the coil springs.

are provided with seatings 28 and 29 on thelongitudinal frame members I and 2.

Movement of the rear axle housing 6 trans versely of the vehicle is controlled by a radius rod .32 which'has one end ball jointed to a bracket 5 38 on the axle housing 6, towards the left hand side of the vehicle, and its other end ball jointed to a bracket 31 on the transverse member 3 of the frame.

0n the upper side of the axle housing B,'and embraced by the clips l8, I9 and 20, 2| are brackets such as, 40 for rubber bumpers such as 4| as shown in Figs. 2 and 3. The rubber bumpers 4| coaet with the longitudinal side members I and 2 of the frame, resiliently to resist and cushion extreme upward deflections of the axle hous- ,ing 6 relatively to the vehicle frame.

A pair of direct acting hydraulic shock ab-v sorbers 42 and d3 of well-known type, are operative between the axle housing 6 and the vehicle frame. The-shock absorber 43 has one end pivotally connected to a bracket M on the frame member 2 and its other endis pivotally connected to the sole plate II. The shock absorber 42 is similarly connected between the frame member I and the sole plate It. The pivotal connections for the shock absorbers provide for a degree of universal movement as well as pivotal movement and preferably include pivot pins 58 and SI riveted respectively to the brackets such as 44 on the frame members I and 3 and to the sole plates l6 and IT. The pivot pins and ii are substantially horizontal and parallel to each other transversely of the vehicle in the normal position ofthe parts and are provided with resilient rubber bushings of well-known form. It will be appreciated that the resilient rubber bushings permit the requisite'small degree of universal movement as well as pivotal movement of .the

accommodating to the prescribed movements of the axle, about pivot axes indifferent non-paralleTplanes. They also provide a certain amount of insulation against the transmission'of noise.

As arranged, the direct acting shock absorbers 42 and 43 function also, to some extent, as telescopic guides, tending to'restri'c't the, axle to simple movement in an arc of a circle about 9. normally horizontal transverse axis through the center-of the ball II of the V-shaped member. 50 The drlveto the axle housing 6 is through a short propeller shaft which is connected to an extension 56 of the transmission driven shaft through a universal joint 58 and to the rear axle dfive shaft is through a universal joint to. The a extension 56 is supported in a tubular extension 6| of the transmission housing 62 and is connected with the transmission driven shaft through a, sliding coupling (not shown) which permits the shortening and lengthening of the distance from the rear axle drive shaft to the transmission to conform with the prescribed movements of the axlehousing S. v

It will be seen that the driving thrust of the road wheels 1 and 8 is transmitted to the vehicle frame through the arms 9 and III of the V-shaped radius member, andthat the driving and brake torque reaction is also taken through the arms 9 and i0, thus relieving the springs 28 and 21 of all functions other than the springing of the vehicle. 1

I claim:

1. In a motor vehicle, in combination, a frame, a driving axle carrying road wheels on opposite sides of the vehicle, a pair of tubular radius arms to take the driving thrust and torque, said radius arms having one end pivotally connected to -the vehicle frame, tubular extensions sleeved over the opposite ends of the radius arms and rigidly secured thereto, said extensions extending below and beyond the axle and being rigidly clamped to the underside of opposite ends of the axle, and spring means having the single function of resiliently resisting upward movement of the axle relatively to the frame, said spring means being operative between seatings on the vehicle frame and on the extensions upon the axle.

2. The combination according to claim 1 in which the radius arms are united at their point of pivotal connection to the vehicle frame and terminate in aball which is mounted in a rubber socket on the vehicle frame, movement of the axle transversely of the vehicle being controlled by a transverse radius rod having one end pivotally connected to the vehicle frame towards one side of the vehicle and its other end pivotally connected to the axle towards the other side of the vehicle.

BENJAMIN H. ANIBAL. 

